Longevity: Walk 8,000 steps daily to drop your death risk by half (compared to those who walk 4,000 steps). Do 12,000 steps and reap even more benefits.
Let’s start the new year with a brief nod to the benefits (including longevity) of merely walking. First, walking faster does not appear to be associated with longer life. However, doing more steps per day reduces mortality rates from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Here are the results of walking 8,000 or 12,000 steps daily, compared with walking only 4,000:
- Walking 8,000 steps each day lowered the risk of all-cause mortality by about half (51 percent).
- Walking 12,000 steps each day decreased all-cause mortality by nearly two-thirds (65 percent).
The study authors concluded that more daily steps significantly dropped all-cause mortality. After adjusting for total steps per day, they found no association between step intensity and mortality. Even low-intensity activity can meaningfully your risk of early death.
Historic research reporting higher step counts associated with lower mortality often looked at older adults, smaller populations with relatively few deaths, and those with conditions such as heart failure or chronic lung disease. The data linking walking pace and lower mortality have been mixed.
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